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Why Does my Cat Give me Head Butts?

If a human were to walk up to you and slam his forehead into yours, it would generally be a bad thing – and probably lead to a fight! However, when your cat does it to you, it means something entirely different.

The technical term for what your cat is doing when he bonks you on the head with his own is bunting. Bunting includes head-cracking and also rubbing themselves against your legs. They do this for a few reasons – to communicate (“Hi, how are you!”), to leave their scent on you, or because they want to be petted.

Cats communicate with us using body language and if a cat head butts you, he is extremely content, greeting you with love and affection. And, remember, he is bunting, or leaving his mark on you to signify that you are safe, trusting and comfortable.

Some cats tend to bunt more frequently than others, so don’t be concerned if your cat isn’t giving you skull-cracking head bonks. He’s probably showing his affection in some other way!

Check out this video of kitties Emma and Portia giving head butts, filmed with a GoPro HD helmet cam. Cool!

Very cute, and I wish my new boy did this, but he’s not a head-butter. And… I know, I’m going to get flack for mentioning this, but, folks, forgive me, I just can’t stand it. It’s “… or because they want to be petted.” Your cat doesn’t want to be pet – after all, he/she is already your pet!

Actually, the SPYNX in the picture is one of the most loving species to be had. I recently have gotten one and it was the best decision we have ever made. Our Allergic child could now have a cat. No reaction at all.
So, Mr. Matt unless your the hottest thing on earth, it’s kinda .. well, ZIP IT!

My oldest cat, Jujuba, does is all the time, head cracking ones. Joaquim hops on the table, gives us a head-butt and then turns around and points his butt to us, and then head butts and points his butt,… many times! My youngest one, Mel, doesn’t like faces too close to her face, so, her head-butts are generally done on our legs or hands.

I have had communicative cats that talked all the time and typical cuddlers but this last one is my first boy. He is pretty funny. He head butts me every morning to get up and if that doesn’t work, he walks across my boobs. OUch. That works for me. I get up and feed him. He also plays fetch. My dogs don’t fetch. He is only vocal when he wants to play, eat, or go outback with the dogs because he isn’t sure what he is but he knows he is the most special of the bunch….

Everyday after I would get home from school my wonderful cat, Olivia, would be waiting at the door. She would stare at me as it come in and quickly follow me up to my room and hope on my bed. I would quickly take me shoes and backpack off and join her on the bed and we would head butt each other for a few minutes before she would ask for a belly rub.
I always feel like you have a rare connection when you can do that with a cat.

I have 4 indoor cats and they all do this bunting or head butting. My question is that one in particular will rarely head butt me, even though he may come up to me an do the little paw thing cats do (push their paws up and down in one place) and he seems happy enough, yet if my children are beside me, he’ll head butt them, but yet still stay on my lap/ chest…..I have no doubt he loves me, and I am always gentle with him and affectionate. Why would he not head butt me?

he sees you as his mother! The paw thing is called “kneeding”, its a call back to when they are padding their mother for milk, he definitely loves you if he trusts you enough to kneed, feel honored he sees you as his surrogate mother!

My new 1 year old cat Milo (just got him yesterday) is such an affectionate little dude! He woke me up at 4 with his usual motorboat purring and when he saw I was awake, padded right over to me to be pet. I wasn’t mad, in fact, I was grinning like a maniac because he seems to like me so much. As far as I can tell, he loves to “bunt” which my family thinks is so adorable.

My Siamese, Manny, is a big head bunter. He also likes to sit real close when I’m lying down on the couch and lick my neck. He’s a big purr meister too. He’s 17. He doesn’t knead like the previous cat, and he used to nurse my belly for 13 years which was fine until he used teeth and I pushed him away. He then decided to head bunt and lick my neck. I sometimes get the huggies and hug him as hard as I can and he loves it! He also talks to me as he’s a Siamese and a beautiful Bluepoint Balinese Siamese he is. When Taco passed in 2000 I thought I’d never get another cat but I broke down. When I got uim he was the only kitten of four who didn’t run away, put him on his breeder’s couch and asked if he wanted me to be his new mom and he licked my finger. I knew he was for me. 17 years and counting. Love my boy. What I didn’t realize was his jelousy when I had gotten my puppy two years later and Manny took her down like a lion with teeth at her throat and had to yank Manny off her. But he puts up with his Chihuahua sister. Manny had pretty big paws to fill after Taco passed and he’s so much like him. Manny didn’t like the name I originally gave him but responded to Manny and it stuck. Manny is like his father, gentle, and loving. I adore my boy. He’s my thir Siamese. They’re great cats. I love both my ‘kids’. My dog is now 15 and is two years younger than Manny so I have teenage fur kids. My Manny is a good baby sitter for my dog and sometimes grooms her. When I ask Manny if he loves me I get a hard head bunt. I used to be scared of cats until a kennel cat taught me how wonderful they are. When things get rough it’s my Siamese whose the comforter and when he’s done my dog takes over. Yeah fur kids!

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